The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20

EATRACIS fhOh "A SEnNioN ENEASih
ED IN 1887, AT ST. PAUL'S CA
THEDRAL, BY THE REV. SIDNEY
SMITH.
A second great object which I hope
will be impressed upon the mind of
this Royal Lady is, rooted horror of
war-an earnest and passionate desire
to keep her people in state of pro-
found peace. The greatest curse
which can be entailed upon mankind,
is state of war. All the atrocious
crimes committed in years of peace
all that is spent in peace by the secret
corruptions, or by the thoughtless ex-
travagance of nations, are mere trifles
compared with the gigantic evils
which stalk over the world in state
of war. God is forgotten in war
every principle of Christian charity
trampled upon-human labor destroy
ed-human industry eXtinguished ;
you see the son. and the husband, and
the brother, dying miselably in dis
tant lands-you see the waste of hu-
man affections-you see the breaking
of human hearts, you hear the shricks
of widows and children, after the bat
tle,-and you walk over the mangled
bodies of the wounded calling for
death. I would say to that royal
child, Worship God, by loving peace,
it is not your humanity to pity beg
gar by giving him food or raiment. I
can do that that is the charity of the
humble, and the unknown-widen
you your heart for the more expanded
miseries of mankind-pity the moth
ers of the peasantry who see their sons
torn away from their families-pity
your poor subjects crowded into hos
pitals, and calling in their last breath
upon their distant country, and their
young Queen-pity the stupid, frantic
folly of human beings who are always
ready to tear each other to pieces
and to deluge the earth with each 9th.
er's blood this is your extended hui
manity-and this the great field OF
your compassion. EXtinguish in youl
heart the fiendish love of military
glory, from which your sex does moi
necessarily exempt you and to which
the wickedness OF flatterers may urge
you. Say upon your death-bed, 81
have made few orphans in my reign
I have made few widows, my object
has been peace. I have used all the
weight OF my character, and all tho
power of my situation, to check the
irascible passions of mankind, and tc
turn them to the arts Of honest indus
try; this has been the Christianity o.
my throne, and this the gospel OF my
sceptre; in this way have L strove tC
worship my Redeemer and my Judge
l would add (if any addition were
wanted as part of the lesson tt
youthful royalty, the utter folly of al
wars of ambition where the objec
sought for-if attained at all-is com
monty attained at manifold its rea
value, and often wrested, after shor
enjoyment, from its possessor, by tht
combined indignation, and just ven
geance of the other nations of tht
world. It is all misery and folly, ant
impiety, and cruelty. The atrocities
snd horrors, and disgusts OF war, have
never been half enough insisted upol
by the teachers of the people; but tht
worst of evils and the greatest of fol
lies have been vanished over will
specious names, and the gigantic rob
bers and murderers of the world hav,
been holden up. for their imitation t.
the weak eyes OF youth. May homes
counsellors keep this poison from tn
mind of the young Queen. May sh
. love what God bids, and do wha
makes men happy.